Robert Statsky

(And Why Your Worth Has Nothing To Do With Your Job Title)

Unemployment is a weird, complicated and emotionally draining experience. I’ve been unemployed four times in my career. Four completely different scenarios. Four completely different timelines. But each time taught me something about myself: who I am, how I handle adversity, how I respond to the unknown, and how easily identity gets tangled up with work.

What I’ve learned:

Unemployment forces you into introspection you didn’t ask for.
When you suddenly have time, you start asking yourself questions you never had space for before. Questions that don’t have answers. Questions about purpose, identity, direction, and whether you’re doing enough.

Even if you’re not financially stressed, you’re emotionally exhausted.
You feel the uncertainty every day.
Your body goes into survival mode, rest, food, stillness. Because mentally you’re drained from thinking about the future.

It affects your relationships too.
Your family feels the weight (so do your clothes).
Your kids sense the shift.
Your spouse takes on your stress even if you don’t say a word.

It’s not fun, and it’s not glamorous. And if you’ve spent your life working in startups, this feeling becomes familiar in ways you wish it didn’t.

The Routine Problem

Everyone tells you to “use the time to get better.”
Sure. But let’s be honest:
There’s a ton of monotony when you suddenly have nothing time-sensitive to do.

Time blocking feels like homework.
Sticking to a routine feels like discipline for discipline’s sake.
You fill the day with whatever tasks you can think of, but it still feels like survival mode.

When my kids were younger, at least the days were busy. But now that they’re in school? I’m alone for most of the day. And that isolation, even for a few weeks, changes you.

The New Hiring Process (And Why It’s So Exhausting)

The job market today is harder than any other period in my career.

More rounds.
More virtual screens.
And everyone wants a “take-home project” for every single role.

I still don’t understand what these projects are actually testing.
Any candidate could copy/paste a prompt into AI and get something passable.
But if you don’t do that, you risk being compared against people who do.
It’s a strange, inconsistent, messy process.

It also feels at times like the prospective employers are just “looking and waiting” for you to say something they don’t like. The be honest, the longer you interview with a company, the more potentials times there are for you to say something that someone doesn’t like. I don’t mean anything horrible, or politically incorrect. I mean, you might just say something that someone doesn’t agree with, or doesn’t understand or doesn’t believe. And then you’re done.

I once went through 8-9 interviews only to be asked in the last meeting “why should we hire you?” To me that should be the first question you ask not the last one. Almost like if you didn’t know after all of that, then it was NEVER going to be the right fit.

But despite the frustration, here’s the truth:

You can’t stop trying.
You can’t stop showing up.
You can’t stop keeping yourself in the game.

You have to keep going, as much as it hurts and as frustrating as it is.

That’s why I started writing these articles.
Part therapy.
Part documentation of what I’ve learned.
Part sharing the journey with anyone who feels the same weight.

The Biggest Lesson: Your Worth Isn’t Conditional

Being unemployed doesn’t make you a failure.
It doesn’t make you a loser.
It doesn’t define who you are.

Your value doesn’t disappear because you’re between roles.
Your identity isn’t tied to a payroll system.

Sometimes it feels like it is. It feels like you can’t have an opinion on something, or your self-worth is much less, the value you think you can provide to others and your friends is less. It feels like the world is ending at times like you can’t matter because you’re not employed.

I realize that is dramatic and entirely not the case, but it doesn’t prevent those thoughts from going through your head.

After four bouts of unemployment, I can say with absolute clarity:

I could never retire.

I’ve seen what too much unstructured time does to me. I need purpose, momentum, something to build.

So how do you actually manage unemployment?

Here’s the framework I use now, and the one I wish I had earlier:

1. Build structure into every day

Even if it feels forced. Even if it feels pointless.

2. Stay in motion professionally

Even when it feels discouraging.

• Apply to roles consistently
• Talk to hiring managers
• Stay active on LinkedIn
• Keep projects fresh
• Keep learning
  

Your goal is to stay mentally “in the game,” even on days when you’re tired of interviews.

3. Do things that lift your energy

Stagnation is your enemy.

• Exercise
• Walk outside
• Build something
• Learn a skill
• Write
• Make something you’re proud of
  

Small wins matter more in unemployment than people realize.

4. Protect your relationships

Unemployment doesn’t just happen to you.
It happens to your entire household.

Don’t let frustration or insecurity turn into conflict or withdrawal.
Talk openly.
Share what you’re feeling.
Lean on your support system instead of shutting down.

5. Keep perspective

This chapter is temporary.
Your entire career isn’t defined by a few months of uncertainty.

You have skills.
You have experience.
You have value.
You will work again.

And someday you’ll look back and realize that this season — the one that felt heavy, slow, frustrating, and uncertain — gave you something: resilience, clarity, growth, and a reset you didn’t know you needed.

Final thought

If you’re unemployed right now:
Keep going.
Don’t stop believing in yourself.
Don’t stop putting yourself out there.
Don’t stop staying in the game.

Momentum beats perfection.
Action beats anxiety.
And one opportunity is all it takes to end this chapter and start a new one.You will get hired.
You will be successful again.
You’re not done, you’re just in between wins.

Also, enjoy the pizza: